Quantcast

Rohit makes history with third ODI double

Indian opener posts seventh ever double hundred in ODI cricket, hammering Sri Lanka in Mohali

Indian batting superstar Rohit Sharma has scored his third one-day double century, hammering an unbeaten 208 against Sri Lanka in Mohali.

The right-hander blasted 13 fours and 12 huge sixes as India racked up 4-393 from their 50 overs, less than a week after they were skittled for just 112 in the series opener.

Sri Lanka skittle India, snap losing streak

It's just the seventh time a male player has scored a double century in one-day international cricket and Rohit owns three of those scores. No other man has done it more than once.

Rohit first broke through the mystical 200 mark with a score of 209 against Australia in Bengaluru in 2013 and he followed it up with a staggering score of 264 against Sri Lanka in 2014, which remains a world record.

SCORECARD: All the numbers from Rohit's epic knock

He brought up his 200 in Mohali from just 151 balls, having raced from 100 to 200 in just 36 deliveries. To put that in context, the fastest ever century in ODI cricket (by South African AB de Villiers) came from just 31 balls while Corey Anderson's 36-ball ton is the second-fastest ODI hundred.

Having reached three figures in the 40th over of the innings, Rohit went on the charge and scored the bulk of the 148 runs India managed in the final 10 overs.

He got going with an incredible four sixes from four legal deliveries in the 44th over, bowled by Suranga Lakmal, the sequence only broken by a wide ball.

The attack against Lakmal came during a streak where Rohit cleared the boundary seven times in just nine balls to race past the 150 mark.

Image Id: E2FF6A9B566941E9A4CEF4B201CFE53A Image Caption: Rohit celebrates his third ODI double century // Getty

Three consecutive fours off the bowling of Nuwan Pradeep in the 47th over raised hopes that he might reach 200 and he started the final over of the innings on 191.

A six and a two to start the over brought him within reach and he completed another two the next ball to reach the milestone, much to the delight of the Mohali crowd.

Another six and a single finished off a truly extraordinary performance.

Pradeep copped the brunt of the punishment, his figures of 0-106 from 10 overs the fourth most expensive in ODI history and the worst ever by a Sri Lankan.

Highest scores - Men's ODIs

264 - Rohit Sharma, India v Sri Lanka, Kolkata, 2014
237no - Martin Guptill, New Zealand v West Indies, Wellington, 2015
219 - Virender Sehwag, India v West Indies, Indore, 2011
215 - Chris Gayle, West Indies v Zimbabwe, Canberra, 2015
209 - Rohit Sharma, India v Australia, Bengaluru, 2013
208no - Rohit Sharma, India v Sri Lanka, Mohali, 2017
200no - Sachin Tendulkar, India v South Africa, Gawlior, 2010